The Luckiest in the World
by deforestasian
Summary: Jem and Tessa, after so long apart, are finally married. Their wedding night? Perfect. (Romance fluff, mostly)


The night was young, and anyone who gazed upon the faces of the young couple walking towards the hotel, would smile in return. It seemed as if the moon itself shone upon the two of them, talking in hushed whispers as they carried small bags to their room.

"Tessa?" Jem paused to take her bag from her. In a swift movement, he had left the bag on the floor, and held Tessa in his arms, crossing the threshold bridal style to the small hotel room.

"Jem!" Tessa gasped softly, remembering how frail he once had been. But he was no longer frail. How strange everything was, to be with Jem here and now, in such modern ages. But she would not have traded him for anything. She would have waited an eternity for him. He set her down gently, on her feet, his hands pausing at the jade pendant around her neck.

"Can you believe…." His voice trailed off as he remembered. Tessa came up behind him, her arms around his waist.

"Fate is a tricky thing. But I would not question it. After all this time, you are here. We are here. Together." She moved in front of him and tilted her head upwards. "Much has changed, and yet much has not."

Jem brought his lips to meet hers. A chaste kiss. Years of old time propriety habits were difficult to break. Even more difficult were the years of loneliness. Also, the door to the room remained open. Tessa broke the kiss to retrieve her bag. There was no sense in leaving the door open. Too many years had passed to keep her waiting now.

In a flash, Jem had taken the bags inside. She could tell how much he enjoyed his freedom from the addiction to the _yin fen._ Something about him seemed lighter, more boyish. And yet he had all the presence and build of a man.

Tessa smiled. _My husband._ She thought fondly. _Finally._ She watched as Jem turned to her,a beautiful light in his now dark brown eyes.

"_Wo ai ni."I love you._ When her lips parted to whisper those same words back, she suddenly found them very busy. She felt Jem's hands at her back, clutching her to himself, her lips upon his, and their tongues, oh, their tongues together for the first time in more than a lifetime. And it was without the sickly sweet taste of _yin fen._

It was glorious.

For Tessa, it was like holding the sun in her arms. She clutched Jem tightly as they inched their way to the neat queen bed in the room's center. She sighed into their kisses, smiling and nearly crying with the intensity of love she felt, both the love of the past and the love of the present.

"I never thought I could hold you like this again…" She murmured around his mouth, her breathing ragged. "You are beautiful, James Carstairs. Beautiful." And she remembered the last time she had called him beautiful, when they had advanced almost as far as they were now headed.

Jem opened his eyes and gazed upon Tessa. His Tessa. Now, in the modern times, she did not pin her hair as she had when they were young, but she still was lovely. Lovelier, even. Tessa gazed evenly back at him, but noted a trace of fear in his eyes.

"Jem…?" Her voice was hesitant and fearful as well. "In this modern age they would mock me for waiting over a hundred years. And now, now that I have you in my arms, as my wife, I find myself…." He looked sheepishly at her. "Nervous."

Tessa laughed lightly, but her reply was serious. She had, in some ways, expected his hesitation. "My love, there is nothing to be nervous about." She kissed him softly on the corner of the mouth as she spoke. He looked right at her, addressing the things of which they had never spoken.

"You are more experienced than I." He looked ashamed. "I'll not be your first." He looked disappointed and small with worry.

"You know just as well as I that does not matter." Tessa replied softly. "You are my husband now. Do not worry about Will, or the past. My love for him will never shadow my love for you." She traced her slim fingers around his faded _parabatai_ mark. "I am with you now, as your wife. I would be in no one else's arms now." She smiled, grabbing his hands. "There is no comparison. There never has been. You are Jem. My husband. You are well, now, and we are together. I have waited for you so long...do not worry about my thoughts, they are only for you. Never doubt that I love you, for I have loved you all these years of my life, and I will love you until forever reaches an end."

Jem did not reply immediately, only kissed her more fiercely than before. "You are beautiful, my beautiful wife. I am the luckiest in the world." Tessa murmured her agreement, lips against his hair, although in her head she disagreed.

_No, Jem. I am the luckiest of all. To hold you in my arms again, to have a lifetime with you, it is more than I could have bargained for. More than I could have hoped. I am luckier than I could have ever dreamed._

As they kissed, hungrily exploring each others' bodies for the first time in more than a lifetime, tears fell from Tessa's eyes. It was as if her heart would burst from the love she felt. Every item of clothing that they pulled from each other was another wave of feeling, continuing until they lay as bare as the days they were born, overcome by emotion.

Tessa reached across the bed and pulled Jem over her body. He melded to her like a blanket, like they were made for each other. The feeling of skin against her was electric, the feeling of Jem with her was astounding.

_I am the luckiest in the world._

"Jem…" She whispered softly, "I love you." And she repeated it over and over as they consummated the marriage they had waited over a century for.

Tessa held him close while he slept, knowing that there was nothing in the world would come close to the love bursting within her, knowing that she truly was the luckiest in the world.

**A/N Hello my dears, I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think, I am quite willing to make edits, details, or, depending on how this is received, make it into more one shots of Jessa life. Let me know! Thanks for reading, and please review if you'd like!**


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